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PODCAST

The Science of Birds

Ivan Phillipsen

The Science of Birds is a lighthearted exploration of bird biology. It"s a fun resource for any birder or naturalist who wants to learn more about ornithology. Impress your birding friends at cocktail parties with all of your new bird knowledge! Hosted by Ivan Phillipsen, a professional birding guide and passionate naturalist with a PhD in Zoology.

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All Episodes

39:37

Bird Habitat: Temperate Grasslands and Prairies

The Science of Birds ·

2022/11/22

This episode—which is Number 64—is all about the importance of temperate grasslands as habitat for birds.When we say “temperate grasslands,” we mean those generally occurring in the middle latitudes.Temperate grasslands exist in several parts of the world. Some of them cover vast areas. Here in North America, we have the Great Plains as a “great” example.The steppes of Mongolia and the Pampas of South America are similarly vast temperate grasslands.Many, many bird species around the world depend on

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49:51

The Common Raven

The Science of Birds ·

2022/11/07

This episode—which is Number 63—is about the Common Raven, Corvus corax. This species is also known as the Northern Raven.Few bird species in the world are as geographically widespread as the Common Raven. And few are as familiar and iconic. This is a really amazing bird.Ornithologists and other scientists have studied ravens extensively, so we know quite a lot about this species.Today, we’ll look at the basic traits of the Common Raven as well as its behavior, habitats, diet, reproduction, and

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34:41

Biogeographic Realms and Their Unique Birds

The Science of Birds ·

2022/10/13

This episode—which is Number 62—is all about the major geographic divisions among birds across the planet.Why are bowerbirds found only in Australia and on the islands of New Guinea? Why are the birds you see in India so different from those in China? Does North America have any unique, endemic bird families?Questions like these fall within the domain of biogeography. Biogeography is the study of where living things are found and why they’re found there—both in the present and the past. Today, we’ll

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38:15

Ostriches

The Science of Birds ·

2022/09/29

This is Episode 61, and it’s all about Ostriches. These are the birds in the avian family Struthionidae.Ostriches are among the most recognizable and charismatic birds. No living bird is bigger than an ostrich. If you’ve ever seen one up close, you know how impressive these giants can be. They’re amazing.So I’m excited to dig into their biology with you today. You probably know a thing or two about Ostriches already, but let’s see if we can get a deeper understanding of them. We’ll look at their

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47:35

Feeding Wild Birds: Pros and Cons

The Science of Birds ·

2022/09/15

This episode—which is Number 60—is about Feeding Wild Birds. As in, humans providing supplemental food for wild birds.This typically involves a contraption called a birdfeeder. When you or I hang up a birdfeeder, we’re feeding wild birds intentionally. This intentional feeding is what today’s episode is about.Millions and millions of people all around the world feed wild birds intentionally. At such a massive scale, you have to imagine this would affect birds significantly, and in many ways. And it

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45:30

Ask Me Anything About Birds - Aug 2022

The Science of Birds ·

2022/09/01

This episode—which is Number 59—is a bit different. Today, I’m going to be answering questions from my listeners. More specifically, these questions come from my supporters on Patreon. I have several “tiers” or “membership levels” on my Patreon page. Each level comes with perks. One perk for the “Helpful Hornbill” and “Awesome Osprey” tiers is getting to submit questions for episodes like this.So, today, we’ve got a fun grab-bag of questions to ponder.~~ Leave me a review using Podchaser ~~Links of

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44:07

Wrens (Family: Troglodytidae)

The Science of Birds ·

2022/08/18

Today’s episode—which is Episode 58—is all about birds in the family Troglodytidae. These are the wrens.Wrens are small, perky songbirds, most of which are some shade of brown. All the species in this family of birds are found in the New World—In North, Central, and South America. All of them, that is, except for one species found in the Old World.In this episode, we'll cover many aspects of wren biology: their behavior, voices, diversity, evolution, conservation, and breeding.~~ Leave me a

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30:28

Flocking Behavior in Birds

The Science of Birds ·

2022/08/07

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41:18

How Bird Feathers Get Their Colors

The Science of Birds ·

2022/07/21

This episode—which is Number 56— is all about the colors of birds.The diversity of color in bird plumages is one of the things we love most about these animals.But bird plumages are impressive not only when they display vibrant colors plucked from the rainbow. Thousands of species aren’t what we’d call colorful, but they do have gorgeous, intricately patterned feathers in combinations of black, brown, and white.Today, we’re looking at how feathers get their colors, from white to subtle earth tones

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45:59

Flamingos

The Science of Birds ·

2022/07/08

This is Episode 55. It’s all about birds in the avian family Phoenicopteridae. These are the flamingos.No doubt you already know a fun fact or two about flamingos. These birds are crowd pleasers that get a lot of attention. But today we’re doing a deep dive into their biology. I’m hoping that along the way, you’ll pick up some new flamingo trivia that you can impress your friends with.~~ Leave me a review using Podchaser ~~Links of InterestUnderwater Flamingo Feeding [VIDEO]Flamingo courtship dance

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56:30

Eggs: Incredible and Commendable

The Science of Birds ·

2022/06/24

This episode—which is Number 54—is all about bird eggs. This is an important topic. Eggs are a fundamental aspect of bird biology. Recently, in Episode 49 of the podcast, I covered the topic of nests. So it seems like a logical next step for us to get the lowdown on eggs.Oology is the science of studying bird eggs. So today, we are all honorary oologists. We’re egg-heads on a mission to better understand how baby birds come into the world.~~ Leave me a review using Podchaser ~~Book

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34:26

Avian Flu

The Science of Birds ·

2022/06/12

This episode—which is Number 53—is all about Avian Influenza. Or colloquially what we call the Avian Flu or Bird Flu.Depending on where you live, you might have noticed news headlines in recent months about the frightening spread of Avian Flu among both domestic and wild birds. I thought you might have some questions about this emerging disease, and so here we are with an entire podcast episode on the subject.~~ Leave me a review using Podchaser ~~Links of InterestCurrent U.S. Bird Flu Situation in

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28:47

Giant Birds: Go Big or Go Home

The Science of Birds ·

2022/05/26

This is Episode 52. Today, we’re talking about bird species that are way, way bigger than your average chickadee or finch.Our focus will be on evolutionary lineages that spawned some very large bird species. Species whose ancestors had been much smaller, millions of years earlier.We’ll look at a bunch of interesting giant birds throughout history. Then we’ll talk about some scientific explanations for why these critters got so big in the first place.~~ Leave me a review using Podchaser ~~Links of

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32:43

The Northern Cardinal

The Science of Birds ·

2022/05/06

This is Episode 51. Our bird of interest today is the Northern Cardinal, Cardinalis cardinalis.This species is widespread across the eastern and southern US. It’s so well-known and loved that it’s the state bird for 7 states—more than any other species.Northern Cardinals are among the most abundant birds in North America. They’re familiar denizens of backyards that visit feeders all year long. So it shouldn’t be surprising to hear that ornithologists have done a lot of research on this abundant and

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21:51

Female Birdsong

The Science of Birds ·

2022/04/19

This episode—which is Number 50— is all about Female Birdsong. Songs are one of the things we love most about birds. They define the soundscapes of the natural world. Even though humans have been surrounded by singing birds for millions of years, we still have some misconceptions about birdsong. Today’s episode is about a misconception of sex differences in birds… Of who sings and who doesn’t.~~ Leave me a review using Podchaser ~~Links of InterestThe Forgotten Female: How a Generation of Women

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52:02

Nests: Types, Construction, and Challenges

The Science of Birds ·

2022/04/06

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27:01

The Pecking Order: Dominance Hierarchies in Birds

The Science of Birds ·

2022/03/25

This episode—which is Number 48—is about the “Pecking Order” in birds. Or, to use the more technical term, dominance hierarchy. Our focus will be on dominance hierarchies that we see among birds within a single species. White-crowned Sparrows beating up on other White-crowned Sparrows, for example, as opposed to White-crowned Sparrows beating up on another species, like Lincoln’s Sparrow. The latter would be an example of interspecies dominance. But today, we’re talking about intraspecies dominance

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42:02

Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers (Family: Laridae)

The Science of Birds ·

2022/03/10

This is Episode 47. It’s all about birds in the family Laridae. This is an ancient evolutionary lineage that originated over 70 million years ago, when the world was still ruled by dinosaurs.Besides gulls and terns, the family Laridae also includes the skimmers and the noddies.~~ Leave me a review using Podchaser ~~Links of InterestShoplifting gull stealing Doritos.Link to this episode on the Science of Birds websiteSupport the show

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19:21

Wallace's Line: Where Two Bird Worlds Collide

The Science of Birds ·

2022/02/18

This episode—which is Number 46—is about a special place in the Malay Archipelago where two bird worlds collide. This region lies between Southeast Asia and Australia, between the Indian and Pacific oceans. And it’s crowded with about 25,000 islands, of all sizes.Specifically, we’ll be looking at a geographic feature called Wallace’s Line. More generally, today’s episode will touch on the topic of biogeography.~~ Leave me a review using Podchaser ~~Link to this episode on the Science of Birds

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49:08

Solving Bird Mysteries with Forensic Ornithology

The Science of Birds ·

2022/02/11

This episode is all about forensic ornithology. This is a field where specialists use scientific techniques to identify bird species from trace evidence. Evidence like maybe a bit of feather, a bone fragment, or a smear of blood. Forensic ornithology is used to solve intriguing wildlife crimes like smuggling and illegal hunting. But it’s also helpful in other situations that don’t involve criminal activity. We’ll get into that side of things too.Like a murder mystery novel, today’s subject is,

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144 results

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